If you commute on the Sengkang-Punggol Light Rail Transit (LRT) lines, then you might be excited to know that the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has procured another eight new two-car trains, bringing the total number of new LRT trains to 25.
The contract for the eight new trains is valued at around S$87 million.
The manufacturer is Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.
The eight new trains will replace half of the existing fleet of two-car models.
Contract for initial 17 new trains awarded in February 2022
The contract for the initial order of 17 two-car trains was awarded to a consortium that comprised Mitsubishi Corporation, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Engineering, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Asia Pacific.
That contract was worth S$439 million.
These 17 trains will replace the current one-car models.
The new trains will arrive progressively from 2024. Once all the new trains arrive, the Sengkang-Punggol LRT will have a fleet of 33 two-car trains, according to The Straits Times.
A bigger fleet would cater to a higher demand on the Sengkang-Punggol LRT post-pandemic.
In 2022, SBS Transit reported a 26.6 per cent increase in average daily ridership to 135,675 passenger trips each day.
Top image by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.